


Under with Love

by FelliSkelli



Series: Falling into LOVE [3]
Category: Underfell AU - Fandom, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Bad Puns, Bloodplay, Broken Bones, Character Death, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Crossdressing Kink, Dacryphilia, Daddy Kink, Depression, Determination, Dissociation, Ecto-Genitalia, Ecto-Tongue, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sex, F/M, Fellcest - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Frotterism, Gore, Humiliation, Knife Kink, M/M, Malepreg, Masturbation, Mentions of Rape, Miscarriage, Multi, Narcolepsy, Near Death, Night Terrors, OC character - Freeform, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Petplay, Porn With Plot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD, Pregnancy, Protective Papyrus, Rutting, Sans Has a Bad Time, Sans Needs A Hug, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Seriously Get Sans A Hug Already, Sexual Tension, Sibling Incest, Sign Language, Skeleheat, Smut, Somnophilia, Soul Sex, Suicidal Ideation, Trauma, Underfell AU, Unethical Experimentation, Vaginal Sex, beatings, dub-con, frisk is a sweetie, human soul, mentions of child abuse, slow romance and sexual exploration, soul dynamics, soul mates, sub/dom, undertale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-29 02:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8471869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelliSkelli/pseuds/FelliSkelli
Summary: After bringing Flicka and Frisk (and Flowey) home, Sans discovers a peace he had not felt in years, and with some motherly care and the sudden turn around in Papyrus' behavior, Sans begins to take better care of himself. And with that care comes a reappearance of his scientific drive. He begins to work on the device, with some unexpected results. Meanwhile Flicka and Frisk are befriending the denizens of Snowdin, although not all monsters approve of how nice they are.





	1. Just a family dinner...

After Papyrus had kicked them all imperiously out of the kitchen so that he could finish the spaghetti himself ‘in the proper manner as befitting one so magnificent as himself, the great and terrible Papyrus’, she had taken Frisk in hand and borrowed the skeletons’ bathroom to take a bath with her son and check them both over for injuries. 

She also just wanted some private time with her little boy. It had been a week since she had last seen him after all, and he was more likely to talk to her in private as well.

Aside from the puncture wounds on her shoulders which had Frisk proclaiming worry about infection she had several bruises and a deep scratch on her thigh. Other than that she was in good shape; Frisk was completely unmarred and she was impressed with his survival capabilities. And absolutely overjoyed to find him unharmed.

Frisk and she did not talk about anything heavy, she was avoiding talking about her trip through the Ruins, and Frisk just said that he got through without hurting anyone (just like she had), but mostly they discussed their observations of the underground, the monsters, and the skeleton brothers. 

After playing with the bubbles for a while -making castles in Frisk’s hair- they finished scrubbing up and got dressed in clean clothing, although Frisk did pull his floor length cloak back on over a clean pair of black pants and a red and grey striped t-shirt. 

Frisk had helped wrap some bandages around her shoulders to cover the puncture wounds after she had washed them as best she could. Then she pulled on some clean underwear, red slacks, and a black long sleeved shirt with a red flower motif curling down from the left shoulder to her right hip. She brushed out both their hair and after a moment of thought left her loose to her hips to dry. 

Giving him a kiss on his nose they left the bathroom as clean as they had found it, and returned back to the living room to find Sans on the couch chatting lazily with Flowey. 

Flicka had Frisk set the table while she looked for anything else that could be used for chairs so that they could all sit at the table together.

“Do you have any other chairs or benches, Sans?” She asked softly as she saw that there was not much furniture aside from the table, couch and tv. Sans looked around as if he had never thought of such a thing and furrowed his brow thoughtfully before his eyes widened in realization and he turned to her a little nervously as he got off of the couch to walk towards her.

**“uh, i...guess not. we’ve never really had guests or anythin’”** Sans replied apologetically. “i mean, boss is not one for...social niceties.”  Flicka smiled with understanding and looked around once more before glancing at the couch and then the table again and shrugging. 

“Well, I really want us all to have our first dinner at the table together, so I guess Frisk and I can stand, and tomorrow we can see if we kind find a couple chairs somewhere.” Flicka mused thoughtfully as she made a decision. She saw that Sans looked a bit upset by her decision but stemmed his protests by laying her fingers lightly over his mouth. “It’ll be fine, baby-bones, you can sit.” She was going to mention how tired he probably was but thought that it would lead to him becoming apologetic and anxious. 

**“and after dinner i can make you a disguise like frisk’s.”** Sans offered with a small tired grin. Flicka glanced at Frisk and grinned before returning her attention to the skeleton. 

“That sounds good! So to anyone outside we are monsters?”

**“yeah, mother and son, moved here from waterfall so that frisk can be boss’ apprentice.”** Sans explained with a tentative smile.

“Oh, that sounds like a brilliant idea, absolutely genius!” Flicka praised, causing Sans to flush with pleasure. She leaned over with a teasing grin. “ But does Papyrus know that Frisk is his apprentice?” She asked with a giggle. Sans looked a little flustered.

**“well, i was going to ask him about it at some point…”** Sans muttered looking off to the side as he hunched his shoulders.

“Over dinner maybe?” She prompted. 

**“uh, yeah, that would be best…?”** Sans muttered nervously, starting to sweat. She stopped teasing him once she saw how uneasy he actually was about bringing up this subject to his brother.

“I’ll ask him if you don’t want to…” She offered with a small smile as she pat his shoulder comfortingly. 

**“nah, i’ll do it, don’t worry flicka.”** He promised with a more stable grin.

“AND JUST WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO?”  Papyrus demanded as he came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming platter of spaghetti. It smelled delicious and Flicka was reminded that she had not had anything to eat except that pie of Toriel’s since she had fallen down...her stomach made a small grumble. Sans sent her a teasing look out of the corners of his eye sockets and Papyrus sent her a sudden glare that had her dropping her hand from his shoulder like it scalded her and she flinched looking down, but then his focus returned to his brother and she felt able to relax.

**“uh, b-boss…it...it’s just...”** Sans stuttered nervously as he stepped back towards her, nudging her with his hip in a manner she thought might have been deliberate. 

“WHAT IS IT, YOU IDIOT?” Papyrus snapped, obviously impatient, one foot tapping the floor and if he was not holding the platter in his hands it would likely have his arms akimbo.

**“uh, the, humans, i have an idea for their cover story. as mother and son from waterfall, they moved here so that frisk can be your apprentice.”** Sans explained in a rush, twisting his fingers together and looking up at his brother hopefully. It was so obvious to Flicka that Sans needed his brother’s approval, that he thrived on it, and was currently starving for lack of any positive affection.

Papyrus seemed to be giving his brother’s suggestion serious thought and then he turned to look over to Frisk who was watching them from the table. Papyrus suddenly gave a curt nod and moved to place the platter on the table decisively. 

“THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.” He proclaimed grandly and Flicka saw Sans flush with pleasure and she bumped him back with her hip affectionately before turning to help serve dinner for the four of them.  

Papyrus took his seat at the head of the table near the kitchen and Sans hesitatingly took his seat at the other end. She noticed that Frisk had set Flowey in his pot near the middle of the table where he was standing closer to Sans’ end of the table leaving her to situate herself nearer to Papyrus. He seemed pleased when she began the ladle equal portions between the four plates. 

He nodded approvingly at least. 

All of them sat in a somewhat uneasy silence for a few moments as they all began to eat, and Flicka could not help the startled exclamation after taking her first bite.

“Wow, this is really good!” She gasped as she began to shovel the food in her mouth with almost unseemly haste, she was so hungry. Frisk looked amused at her antics but he did grin and nod, giving Papyrus a thumbs up.

**“Yeah, it’s delicious, boss, really, no-one _cannoli_ cook better spaghetti…”** Sans added with a big smirk.

“OF COURSE IT IS, HUMAN, WOULD YOU EXPECT ANY LESS FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS?” Papyrus proclaimed, voice full of wounded pride. She paused a moment to respond, ignoring the sauce on her chin. 

“Of course not, you put your all into anything that you put your attention to.” She agreed enthusiastically. He looked a little taken aback by her praise, but it had mollified him and he settled back with a satisfied smirk.

-THUMP- the impact of a solid object hitting the wooden table echoed.

They all turned startled eyes towards the end of the table, and Flicka gasped when she saw Sans collapsed, his arms on either side of his plate and his face practically in the plate, apparently asleep. 

“SANS!” She gasped as she put her fork down and rushed to the smaller skeleton’s side.

“THAT LAZY SHIT IS ALWAYS FALLING ASLEEP, DON’T BOTHER.” Papyrus growled in annoyance, not even looking at Sans anymore after his initial glance.

“Always…Papyrus, no one just ‘falls asleep’ straight of the blue like that, not in mid-conversation.” Flicka gasped, turning an aghast look towards Papyrus, shocked at his lack of concern. 

“HE DOES ALL THE TIME, SOMETIMES WHILE STANDING, HE’S SO WORTHLESS…” Papyrus growled again, but in a lower tone, refusing to meet her gaze.

“He...are you serious? Papyrus, that’s not laziness, that’s narcolepsy!” She exclaimed, quickly becoming angry at his neglect, how could he have thought his brother was just lazy?

“WHAT IS…NARCOLEPSY?” Papyrus asked in confusion, finally looking at her, she could see the slight concern in his eyes as they flickered momentarily over his brother’s prone form. Flicka laid a light hand on Sans’ back, feeling his ribs move with shallow breathes. She looked back up at Papyrus, furrowing her brow in thought as she tried to figure out how to describe narcolepsy.

“It’s a disorder...where someone can’t regulate their sleep-cycle and they uncontrollably fall asleep at irregular moments, and the sleep attacks don’t usually last long, but it’s dangerous…” She explained slowly before Papyrus interrupted her.

“DANGEROUS?!” Papyrus scoffed with disbelief. Flicka glowered at him.

“What if he is walking while he falls asleep, falls over, gets hurt....gets attacked while vulnerable, drowns…”she ticked off the potential dangers off on her fingers and once Papyrus looked vaguely concerned she continued her prior train of thought. “And this disorder also leads to general tiredness and drowsiness, insomnia, a general feeling of weakness, possible hallucinations…” she got more concerned as she listed symptoms and she gazed at Sans with concern.

“THIS IS ABSURD. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT IDIOT EXCEPT LAZINESS AND A BAD ATTITUDE. HE IS ONLY EXCEPTIONALLY TIRED TODAY BECAUSE HE HAD TO USE AN EXCESS OF MAGIC TO CART YOUR FAT ASS AROUND!” Papyrus exclaimed in sudden anger as he slammed his hands onto the table and shoved himself upright. Frisk fell back a step towards her and she felt a little intimidated, but as the length of the table separated them she did not flinch.

“Papyrus-” she started, trying to soothe him out of his automatic denial.

“HE’S FINE, IF YOU CODDLE HIM YOU’LL JUST MAKE HIM WORSE!” Papyrus continued with a furious snarl, his eyes snapping with scarlet magic. 

**“hmm, what’s with all the yelling?”** Sans murmured sleepily.

“Sans!” Flicka cried in relief as Sans slowly sat up, rubbing one eye socket and looking confused. She reached out with a napkin to wipe some sauce off his face but her hand trembled slightly, a sign that Sans did not miss, his eyes flickered from her hand to her face, his smile looking a little forced.

**“you seem a little _rattled_ , flicka, what’s wrong?”** He asked with forced lightness, and she wondered how shaken she must look for him to be so gentle.

“You just, fell asleep, almost in your plate of spaghetti...” She began to explain haltingly.

**“huh. well, it has the _pasta_ -bilities of being a pillow i guess.”** He laughed with a bright laugh, but she could see that he was a little confused by his sudden nap and he rubbed the back of his head uneasily.

“Sans.” She started, placing a hand on his shoulder.

**“hmm?”** He murmured, his grin widening as he gazed up at her.

“It...isn’t…” She started, her hand tightening on Sans shoulder. 

“SHUT UP HUMAN.” Papyrus growled lowly, his voice sending shivers down her spine and she looked up at him, her gaze pleading, but his eyes only narrowed threateningly. 

“Papyrus.” She practically begged.

“YOU’RE JUST MAKING THINGS WORSE. DROP IT OR I’LL TAKE YOU TO ASGORE RIGHT NOW.” He snarled, and she did not doubt that he would do what he said. She dropped her hand from Sans’ shoulder and her eyes to the table, feeling angry and helpless.

**“hey! boss, what are you talking about?!”** Sans finally seemed to be fully awake and he glared at his brother. Flicka glanced sidelong at Sans and then back to Papyrus before deflating and dropping her eyes submissively. She would talk to Sans about it later, but for now she would just keep her eye on him.

“NOTHING YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT.” Papyrus said dismissively as he sat back down. He  began to eat again, but kept his eyes on Flicka, all his attention focused on her. 

**“...flicka?”** Sans asked softly. She turned a bright grin towards him and pat his cheek lightly before returning to her plate.

“I was just surprised Sans.” She said with a slightly forced chuckle that had Sans looking slightly concerned before he blew it off with a shrug.

**“oh, well, it happens sometimes, i’m a real lazi- _bones_.”** He added with a smirk.

“UGH, ENOUGH!”

**“heh, you’re smiling though boss.”**

“I AM AND I HATE IT.”

**“so, what did i miss?”**

“Not much, Sans, we were just discussing how Frisk’ trip through the Ruins went…”

**“oh, that’s right.”** Sans mused as he looked down at his spaghetti, continuing to eat after a moment. Frisk looked up at Flicka with confusion for a moment before realizing that she was trying to change the subject and he grinned. He took a final bite of spaghetti and turned to her as he began to rapidly sign to her, his hands flickering up and down.

*I left, because I thought you did not need me, and went to Mt. Ebbott, and fell, and after I woke up I found Flowey, and he warned me it was dangerous, and I took him with me, to keep him safe, because he was scared, and he helped me through the traps.* 

Frisk started, his fingers and hands gesturing so quickly that she had trouble following for a moment as she tried to get her mind adjusted to interpreting sign again.But it did not take long for her catch back onto their usual mode of communication, and mid-way through she had no trouble keeping up with his blurring signs. He was quite excited it only took him less than a minute to explain how he had fallen and met Flowey.

*We ran into the Guardian of the Ruins, Toriel, and she seemed very nice at first but Flowey was scared and tried to tell me to avoid her, but I did not listen, and we stayed with her for several days, like I told you, until I realized that you had not meant what you said, so even though I had decided to stay with Toriel, I knew I had to get back to you, because I was all you had, and so I tried to leave and she was so angry...something happened, it...was not good, but I got out of the Ruins, and met Sans…and that was yesterday...*

Frisk continued explaining, just as quickly, until he got near the end and she could tell that he was hiding something from her as he fumbled a few signs, pausing between statements, his eyes shifting away for a moment at a couple points. 

Flicka was not about to let her son get away with lying to her, but before she could respond Sans spoke up in shock.

**“how can….since when has frisk spoken in hands?”** Sans asked with a startled growl, and when she looked towards him she saw him staring with flickering eye lights. He did not look scared, precisely, but he did look uneasy. 

“What…? ‘Hands’? You mean sign language?” Flicka asked with a confused frown, glancing to Frisk for a moment (he shrugged) and then back to Sans. 

**“that, thing...that thing with his hands…”** Sans tried to explain, making a strange motion with his fingers as he twitched them towards her.

“Yeah, that’s sign language, it’s how humans communicate with those who are deaf or mute…” Flicka explained with a small smile, signing the words as she spoke. Sans stared at her hands with rapt fascination, but still looked confused.

**“...what is...why are you using that?”** Sans asked, looking calmer, but still confused.

“SO WHY DO YOU USE IT THEN, HUMAN?” Papyrus growled with something like accusation in his tone. She slanted a unheated glare towards him and lifted a lip in a slight silent snarl, before turning back to Sans with a grin.

“Oh, well, Frisk has been functionally mute all his life; nothing is wrong with his vocal cords, but up until a year ago, he never, ever spoke, to anyone; and even now he only ever regularly talks to me. I’d say he only  _ ever  _ talks to me, but he seems fine talking to you two and Flowey. That’s unusual. He never even ever spoke to our Uncle…” She trailed off when she saw the look of disgust on Frisk face and she laughed bitterly.

*I know, I did not talk to him too, any time I could get away with it.* She signed with quick fluid motions. Frisk nodded, knowing full well that she avoided their uncle unless absolutely necessary.

**“oh...so...it...is a human….thing.”** Sans commented with a looked of wary confusion on his face as his eye lights drifted to the side.

“Well, it isn't the same thing as ’Hands’...” Flicka replied slowly, tilting her head to the side as she watched Sans’ face.

**“what makes you say that?”** Sans asked, startled, eyes jumping back to her face.

“Because when you asked about it, you made a gesture with your hand as you said it, but it was not the same gesture that sign language uses; and also you...made a strange vocalization as you did it...it...I could barely understand...but I still knew what you meant somehow.” Flicka said, signing her words as she spoke, before copying the gesture she had seen Sans absently make. 

**“so it _is_** **different…”** Sans mused to himself, somewhat triumphantly. 

“WHAT ARE YOU BABBLING ABOUT, RUNT? WHAT IS ‘HANDS’?” Papyrus all but yelled with impatience as he slammed his fists on the table. He obviously did not like being left out of the conversation.

**“it’s...an ancient language, a primal language used by some monster races...mainly skeletons.”** Sans started, his voice becoming more impassioned with each word, his eyes lighting up.   **“it...imparts most of the intent or meaning through subconsciousness, but the hand motions and vocalizations are integral to the intent…it’s very useful for communicating across species, but after a common language developed Hands fell out of use, and more so when the skeleton race began to die out...”** Sans continued, waving his hands back and forth with strange twisting motions as he spoke; he was obviously excited about the topic, and Flicka remembered Sans mentioning that he had been a scientist at some point. 

It was actually kind of adorable.

She gave a small giggle, cutting of his stream of explanation. He blinked and came back to himself, realizing that he had been rambling. He flushed a bright red shade and twisted his fingers together nervously. 

“How did you learn Hands?” She asked curiously once she had regained his attention.

**“ah…”** Sans looked nervous about answering, and his eye lights flickered towards Papyrus briefly, however Papyrus still noticed.

“WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, RUNT?!” Papyrus asked suspiciously. Sans reached up and clung to his collar for a moment before turning to look at Flicka.

**“so, um, the...previous royal scientist was w.d. gaster...and, uh, he was…”** his eye lights flickered back towards Papyrus and he was sweating now. **“he was our father. progenitor really. an ancient skeleton, um, as old as king asgore...so...he….knew...hands.”** Sans explained with a nervous grin, his right eye light flickering out and his left glowing brighter. Flicka found herself inching closer to Frisk while Sans spoke, because Papyrus was starting to look almost apoplectic.

“ FATHER ?! WHAT  _ FATHER _ ?! WE NEVER-” Papyrus interjected with incredulous rage.

**“you were really young, pa-boss. just a baby-bones. you were only five when he….had his accident.”** Sans interrupted Papyrus’ tirade before he could pick up any steam but the taller skeleton just kept going, sounding even more angry as he all but leapt to his feet, gesturing flamboyantly.

“-AND I NEVER HEARD OF ANY OTHER ROYAL SCIENTIST EXCEPT ALPHYS-”

**“because of his accident, boss, his accident, it was because of the core flux-he made the core- he...no one remembers him except me because I was there…”** Sans continued, his tone  dropping to a more soothing tone although he was sweating more heavily and he almost looked like he was in pain. He was huddled back in his chair, making himself smaller.

“ARE YOU SERIOUSLY EXPECTING ME TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE JUST ’FORGOT’ THE CREATOR OF THE CORE?!!” Papyrus spat, eyes aflame. Flicka wrapped her arms around Frisk’s shoulders as he made a grab for Flowey and she slowly backed them away from the table, eyes never leaving Papyrus.

**“he was trying to...break the barrier, and fix the population decline, and appease the king, and...it all just...got to be too much, we made a miscalculation…”** Sans explained, his voice rough and pained.

“WE?!” Papyrus growled.

**“father and i...because...i...i was his lab assistant…”** Sans replied with something almost like cautious pride.

Silence fell over the table as Papyrus abruptly collapsed back into his seat, staring.


	2. New revelations

Flicka made a small, awkward cough which drew Sans and his brother’s attention to her, and with a small smile Flicka made a soothing hand gesture to the both of them. Papyrus did not seem to appreciate her interruption, he glowered at her fiercely. But Sans was happy to have the mood broken and he grinned at the woman with relief.

“So...how long ago was this, Sans?” She asked curiously.

Sans didn’t answer immediately, but sighed and shrugged. “it seems like a lifetime ago. it’s hard to remember exactly. i mean...considering the r-...re...reminders of him that no one else has…” he stuttered awkwardly, causing suspicious looks from both Papyrus and Flicka to be directed towards him. He coughed again, flushing slightly. “uh...about twenty years ago now I guess, in a linear time line…”

“Um, so…” now Flicka was feeling awkward but when Frisk tugged her arm she smiled down at him and continued. “I made it to the end of the Ruins, and Toriel...showed me to a room she had prepared for me, um, locking me in. And later she, gave me a pie. It was...very dusty.” She gagged slightly as she remembered the taste and she saw Frisk nod in agreement and his lips twitched with disgust. She dropped her eyes for a moment, wringing her fingers as if struggling with something.

“Frisk...Sans....Papyrus...was...Toriel, the Queen?” She asked in a small voice. Sans’ eye lights shrank in distress and he glanced at his brother who looked stoic.

“...yes.” Sans said reluctantly

“ **A LONG TIME AGO, BEFORE THE FIRST HUMAN FELL.** ” Papyrus added, angrily. As he should be, when she abandoned Asgore after the deaths of their children, that was what had sent him spiralling into darkness. It was partially her fault that the Underground was as bad off as it was.

“Ah.” Flicka said, as if having expected such an answer, but not pleased about it.

“Mom?” Frisk asked softly, looking up at her with concern. Sans was also a little uneasy by the way Flicka was gazing down at her hands. She slowly lifted her head, eyes slightly open, but glassy with unshed tears. Sans felt his soul clench and he curled his hands slowly into fists on his lap, hidden by the table.

It was like he already knew what she was about to say...and something deep inside him kept screaming for her to not say it...please don’t say it...if she said it, it could not be taken back.

Flicka was silent for a long moment. “I….killed her.” she finally whispered. She had paled a little, and she was watching them carefully, waiting for their reactions. Sans felt his eye lights flickering weakly, and he slowly released the tension from his bones, his soul flickering.

Toriel was really dead?

It wasn’t like she was the nicest monster...in fact she’d been utterly insane. She’d driven Asgore to the point he was out now. But she was one of his only friends….had been…

Was this his fault somehow? Because he’d taken in the kid...

“Mom!” Frisk gasped, clasping his hands to his mouth and eyes opening wide in horror.

“ **YOU....YOU KILLED...YOU, A _HUMAN_ , KILLED THE QUEEN?**!” Papyrus sputtered with indignant fury, leaping to his feet and slamming his hands down on the table. His right eye light was blazing with power.

“...heh...well, that was royally messed up, but i already suspected it had happened…” Sans muttered mostly to himself. His brother shot him a venomous look and he dropped his gaze to his food.

“I didn’t…well, I did mean to. I hated her. She murdered all the other children whom had fallen before Frisk, tortured them when they tried to leave. Ate a couple of them. She was also killing the other monsters in the Ruins...she was...like a mad dog...and when she told me what she did to you Frisk...I just, lost it. And I attacked her. One hit and...she fell to dust.” Flicka explained in a rush, looking guilty but defiant. Sans didn’t blame her, not at all.

“ **SHE... _TORIEL_ WAS _KILLING_...BUT...BUT SHE KNEW WE NEED THE HUMAN SOULS TO ESCAPE! HOW COULD SHE DO THAT TO US? HUMANS FALL SO RARELY, AND IF SHE WAS GOING TO KILL THEM ANYWAYS...WE COULD HAVE BEEN FREE BY NOW**!” Papyrus nearly stuttered in shock, looking as lost as Sans had ever seen him before as he slowly fell back into his seat, his right eye light flickering out. He looked utterly vulnerable, in a way he hadn’t looked since he was a baby-bones. It was like his whole world had been turned on its head.

“Mom…” Frisk said softly as he reached up to tug on Flicka’s sleeve. She paled and turned to look at him with watery eyes, was she going to cry again?

“I’m so so sorry Frisk I messed up and I always told you not to hate not to hurt-” she apologized desperately, all in a single breath as she took the boy by his shoulders.

“Mom.” Frisk tried again, looking calm, far calmer than anyone else at the table, including Flowey whom had been oddly silent this entire time. Sans spared a glance at the little bloom, and Flowey seemed to be in complete shock.

Flicka froze, her words cutting off as Frisk interrupted her. She took a deep breath before replying, “...Yes?” she said in a slightly concerned tone.

“If we ever got to the surface for some reason…” Frisk began slowly, brows furrowed in intense concentration, as though he was choosing his words with great care.

“Yes?” Flicka prompted, looking a little confused. She had apparently not expected him to take this turn with his question.

“Can I kill our Uncle for what he did to you?” Frisk requested with absolute sincerity, even opening his eyes to gaze at her with solemn intensity. Sans’ jaw dropped open even as he gazed up at FLicka, expecting her to turn him down--

“...yes.” Flicka said in a small voice. Sans nearly fell out of his chair with shock.

“wait, sweetie…? sweetie, you want to kill...what did this uncle do?” Sans gasped, so taken aback that he was really starting to rethink his initial impression about the sweet kid. Hadn’t Frisk shown even him mercy, even Papyrus?

“...” Frisk dropped his eyes and looked very uncomfortable, picking his fork back up and shifting his spaghetti around on his plate. Flick looked just as uncomfortable and she slouched in her seat, gaze dropping to her own plate as she rubbed uneasily at her bicep with one hand.

“Uh...well, when our parents died...our uncle, our mother’s brother, took us in. He only did it for...political reasons. To look good. He ignored us mostly. He had a...bit of an anger problem. But when he wasn’t drunk he was just cold and aloof...and just left us alone.” She began in a low, quiet tone, as if afraid of being overheard. Papyrus and he had to lean forward to hear her.

“...” Frisk glanced up at Flicka, a small frown on his face.

“Okay, so he took out his anger on me. Since day one almost. Just...he was cruel.” she admitted, dropping her eyes and refusing to elaborate any further.

“ **YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT BACK LONG AGO**!” Papyrus rebuked with a disgusted sneer, finally weighing back in on the conversation with his usual callousness. Sans winced and shook his head, this would not end well.

“I didn’t want to risk Frisk! We couldn’t survive on the street!” Flicka spat back, jumping to her feet as she turned to glare at Papyrus with sudden ferocity, as if it were his fault she had been abused.

“ **COWARD** -” Papyrus began as he jumped back up to his feet, clearly winding up for a grand tirade before Flicka cut him off with a slam of her palm against the table.

“Yes I am! I am if a coward means that I would rather just lay back and take it then risk Frisk’s safety!” She declared fiercely, eyes flashing open with rage.

Silence fell over the table and Papyrus finally averted his eye lights, granting Flicka the victory. Flicka seemed to know when and when not to press her advantage because she took her win with dignity and returned to her seat without a single gloat or parting shot. She exhaled slowly and turned to gaze down at Frisk.

“Speaking of risking your safety...Frisk...Toriel told me what she...did to you. But...you look…” she trailed off, waving her hand in a vague gesture as she took in Frisk’s uninjured appearance. Frisk flinched, hesitated and made the gesture of a star.

“What? Oh, those little floating yellow stars? I saw those!” she agreed to Frisk and Flowey’s amazement, Flowey seemed to have shaken off whatever funk he had fallen into when Papyrus and Flicka had started shouting.

Sans had no idea what they were referring to, and Papryus looked just as confused and leaned closer, appearing angry about being left out of the loop.

“what stars…?” Sans questioned slowly, gaze jumping between Flowey’s, Frisk’s and Flicka’s faces in turn. What were they talking about? There were no stars here below the surface...even the ones in Waterfall were weak facsimiles at best...

“There were several in the Ruins! Just...floating in the leaves, one before the spike brid-...oh...you haven’t been there have you…?” Flicka began to explain excitedly, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. Sans slowly shook his head. “Well, there was one outside Toriel’s house too, and...but I have not seen any since I left the Ruin-...Frisk?” she continued, nodding to herself as if thinking about something when Frisk tugged anxiously at her arm.

“- _what_ …?” she sputtered when he signed to her that there were more out here in Snowdin.

“But I haven’t seen any…-” Flicka began again, brow furrowing in confusion and she looked just as confused as Papyrus looked and he felt. Frisk paused for a long moment and then signed, ’did you ever die and come back? Like a reset?’.

Sans froze and his eye lights flickered out.

 _Reset_.

THAT WORD.

(Reset again, and reset again.)

Time going back.

(Who did it this time…?)

Over and over, no one remembers...no one but him…

(Why only you, you worthless piece of trash, why not someone who could stop it…?)

He was drawn back to the present when Flicka gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth in shock. He clutched one hand over his wildly beating soul, feeling as if he’d been hit by a blue attack.

“W-well...yes. I...I tripped. On the bridge...impaled myself...I...I died...but then...I was back…at the star. And I was okay. But...I remember how it felt! I died! I actually died and it was so…” Flicka admitted weakly, as if she was not quite sure she believed it herself. She was looking pale again.

Frisk slowly replied, his hands shaking slightly. Sans couldn’t even focus to see what the kid was saying.

“You... _died_? Oh my God Frisk that’s-- _oh_...oh! It’s….is that how the reset works…? They’re like...save points?” Flicka sputtered, sounding horrified before Frisk signed something else quickly and she took a breath. Sans still felt breathless and a little light headed himself.

And seriously in need of a drink.

“Well...they made me feel so... _determined_.” Flicka added and Sans blacked out again.


End file.
